Contrary to popular belief, the most important audience for a business is not its customer base, it is its internal team. If they are not on your side, how will they ever be able to go out into the marketplace to do great work for your business? Communicating clearly and consistently with employees is a great first step in getting everyone on the same page and moving in the right direction.

Identify the best channel.

Before you begin opening up a line of communication with your team, step back and think about the best channel for doing so. What is easiest for your employees? What makes the most sense? If their jobs keep them on the go, consider distributing your two cents through text message. If most are seated at their desks during the workday, an email might be the way to go. 

Choose a method.

The channel you choose does not lock you into a certain method –  the possibilities are still plenty! Do you have a communications expert who can film a quick video for you? If so, he or she can craft talking points for you to follow and film a brief video on a mobile device. It doesn’t have to be fancy. To ensure you keep your team’s undivided attention, I recommend keeping the video between three to five minutes in length. After it is filmed, the video can be uploaded to YouTube, which creates a shareable link. You can then distribute the link via text message, email or through an email marketing platform such as Mailchimp. If you’re using the latter, a preview of the video will appear in the email after you paste the link into the template, making for a professional and clean look as shown in the example below.

Establish a frequency.

Be consistent. Stick to a cadence that works for you and makes sense based on the information your team needs to hear. If you determine that a weekly message is appropriate, I recommend selecting (and sticking to!) a day of the week, as well. Think long term before you decide. Maybe Monday sounds like a great idea at first, but will that be feasible a month down the road? Perhaps the middle of the week is a safer option when it comes to following a schedule. If a monthly distribution is more your style, identify a section of the month you want your message to go out. Is it the first of the month, middle or end?

Communicating with your team in a consistent manner, especially during times of crisis or change, enhances morale, strengthens loyalty and creates a level of transparency that is sure to be beneficial. Are you in need of assistance when it comes to internal communication? We’re here to help right the ship. Contact us at insight@obsidianpr.com.